The Beauty and the Raven
by Amanda Southgate
Summary: All rights are reserved to Walt Disney Pictures. Leave a comment to help me to improve everyday
1. Chapter 1 - Diaval's introduction

The Beauty and the Raven

I – Diaval's introduction.

(Diaval)

I didn't expect to fall in love for those eyes, yet I did. All of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, before I could help, it had happened. It felt wrong, but at the same time, the absence of it made no sense, as it has always been there, waiting to wake up_. Aurora..._ Some years ago, she was just a baby, who I used to babysit (commanded by Maleficent). I watched her growing up, I watched her curse being broken by Maleficent, and I watched the amazing, kind person she had become. And I fell in love with her, with the girl, with the princess, and with the queen. I fell for Aurora, with all her titles and qualities, but mainly for that naïve, sweet smile and for her eyes.

"Diaval, I was just looking for you, where have you been?" Maleficent asked as I landed on a branch "Into a man" she whispered, and once more I felt my body stretching out and extending, then my wings were now arms with hands and fingers, and my feathers were hair.

"I was flying around" I answered without emotions. "Everything seems to be alright in the Moors, you don't have to worry".

"I am not worried about the Moors now. As long as I am here, nothing or none will try to harm us. But I shall leave the Moors tomorrow for two days, and I hope you come with me"

"Why should you leave…? Oh, it is the Coronation Day, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Our little Aurora has become of age, and of course she will be crowned properly with a big celebration" Maleficent said with a thin smile on her lips.

"I should not attend to it. You should, but I was not invited, I would go only to hold your cloak…"

"You were invited" she interrupted showing me a golden envelop with my name on it "By her. She made an invitation especially for you." I gently took it from her hands, and immediately recognized her handwriting. I left a smile scape and when I looked back to Maleficent she was staring at me with her green eyes, as she could see what was behind that smile.

"What?" I asked trying to hide my feelings and my smile.

"Nothing. I just found a little curious this silly smile on your face. Especially when the subject is my goddaughter… Is there anything I should know, Diaval?" She asked glancing at me, and now her eyes were shinning green and a very thin smoke came from her staff.

"No, there isn't" I pronounced firmly and the smoke and the shine in her eyes were gone.

"Good".


	2. Chapter 2 - Aurora's visit

II – Aurora's visit.

I always knew when Aurora was to come. She was connected with the Moors, and the Moors with her. The grass seemed to feel her presence approaching and became greener, the flowers buttons bloomed, and soon her vanilla perfume filled the air of the Moors. Aurora was now a queen, but whenever she entered the Moors, she was the same girl she was when she first stepped in here: she ran, she laughed, she greeted all the folk, she had loads of fun, like a girl of her age should do. That laugh, so innocent, so pure, so magical that even the birds were envy of her musicality.

"Godmother! Godmother!" she called "Pretty bird! Where are you?" I was in my original form, so I flew down the tree to land near her "Oh, Diaval! My pretty bird! How I missed you!" she said caressing my wings "There is so much happening, and I am so excited with everything! I never had a party before… But I had to come here, to see you all. Godmother!" she said running into Maleficent's direction and hugging her.

"You should be getting everything ready for your party tomorrow night" Maleficent said, but she was still holding her in her arms.

"Yes, but the castle is too stressful now. I know I have my duties, but I did everything I should before coming here. The castle isn't my home, the Moors are"

Maleficent could not avoid smiles to her goddaughter, she loved the Moors more than anything (except Aurora, of course), and Aurora loved the Moors. _"Into a man_" said Maleficent.

"Thank you godmother! I was crazy to hug my pretty bird!" said Aurora running to my arms and holding me tight. Her perfume penetrated my lungs, waking that feeling inside of me again.

"Hello, your grace" I said hugging her back.

"Stop calling me 'your grace'! I am not 'your grace', I am Aurora! Your Aurora, pretty bird!" she said smiling.

_ My Aurora… If she just had any idea…_

"Would you like to visit the waterfalls? Your flowers have just bloomed." I suggested.

"I would love to!" she said, then turning to Maleficent "If you allow me, godmother"

"Oh, child! The Moors are your home. I am only afraid I cannot join you right now, but Diaval will be pleased to take you there" she said turning "But before you go, Diaval, do you give me a second?"

"Of course" I answered.

"I will be waiting near the river" Aurora said.

Maleficent took some steps into the woods and turned back to me. Her expression was of fear.

"The Moors are being spied" she said all of a sudden.

"What? By who?" I asked back.

"I don't know yet. It may be a smaller kingdom, or a bigger one. They enter by the night and spend weeks here, watching us, learning from us and just leave to come back later. They take leaves, flowers, even dust without any explanation and then come back"

"And who are they?"

"I don't know yet. I know that they disguise as Moors' folk: fairies, elves, animals, anything, and their disguise is perfect: not even I can tell just by looking who is one of us and who is not. The thing is, I will need you to help me to protect the Moors, and for that, you must have the ability to turn into a human whenever is necessary without my command, but with my concern" she said moving her fingers, and from them a golden smoke flew on air and her eyes shone with a magical green light. "You will have the ability of turning yourself completely into any animal, or only a part of you, as long as it is done to protect the Moors or anyone who belongs to it" as soon as she stopped speaking the light and the smoke were gone.

"Well, that is a relief. I was tired of waiting for your command to everything…"

"There is another thing" Maleficent said cutting me "I saw how 'happy' you got when Aurora hugged you. Are you sure there is not anything you want to tell me?"

"No, there isn't. If there were anything I would tell you" I said.

"Very well, then. Go, she is waiting for you"


	3. Chapter 3 - Her first unofficial waltz

III – Her first unofficial waltz

Aurora was sitting by the lake, her feet were submerged in the crystalline water and her eyes were closed. On her golden dress laid a blue butterfly, and all fishes were gracefully dancing under the water by her feet.

"I can feel you around, pretty bird" she said with her eyes still closed.

"How could you do that?" I questioned helping her to stand up.

"I always know when you are around" she said holding my hand and staring at me. I got goosebumps all along my skin when her eyes met mine, an impulse to kiss her. I had to break that connection otherwise I would kiss her.

"S-so, are you excited to your party?" I said, leading her to the waterfalls.

"More nervous than excited, to be honest" she said staring at her feet.

"Why would your grace…" she slapped my shoulder "Alright, I got that. Why would you be nervous?"

"Phillip will be there" she whispered. I felt my heart going cold. Prince Phillip was to be her husband, and since she had woken up, he had flirted with her. I don't have to say that I hated him with all my forces, my I want to: I hated him with all my forces. He was too polite, too kind, too "mister nice guy" for my taste. No, I don't mean she should choose a "bad guy", but at least someone with some personality, because he sucked.

"Oh, yes. Your future husband" I said sadly.

"He is not my future husband, and I do not want him to be" that made me kind of happy "But as he is the only prince of age invited, I will have to waltz with him" she said.

"So what?" I asked. We had arrived at the waterfalls, so Aurora sat down near her flower buttons. Aurora blushed and looked down, as she was ashamed of something.

"I-I don't know how to waltz" she whispered.

"What? You don't know…"

"Have you forgotten that I lived sixteen years of my life in the forest, in middle of nowhere with three aunts? I never met a man to dance with… How would I ever know how to dance if I never had a partner?" she said almost angry "I don't want to be humiliated in front of the entire people…"

"It will not happen, Aurora. You can learn how to waltz" I calmed her down.

"And who would be my teacher?" she asked.

"I would be"

Her deep blue eyes shone like sapphires and her lips opened the most illuminated smile ever "Would you teach me, Diaval? Really?"

"It cannot be that difficult. Not more than flying, I mean" I said, but she was already running to hug me and kiss my cheeks.

"You are the best person in the world!" she said "But we will need some music to dance, won't we?"

Immediately the mermaids who lived on that part of the river offered themselves to start a very soft, slow voiced waltz. Their voices went up and down on the chords of their own song and their heads started to dance along the song.

Gently, I took Aurora's hand and involved her waist with my other hand. She put her hand on my shoulder and allowed me to approach my body. Probably I was even more nervous than her, but I could not let it show. She was blushed, smiling, waiting for me to start, but I froze looking into her eyes. Come on, Diaval… Do something, stupid raven!

I closed my eyes to avoid her for a second, so I could finally start to move. It was definitively like flying. Aurora was light as a feather flying on air, even she was an unwinged creature; it seemed that she knew how to fly with her feet on the ground. That was a new experience for me: to fly without wings and with my feet on the ground. I never felt as free as I felt then, with her hands holding mine and with her body copying each movement of mine.

We spun, we moved, we laughed at the end. We could have spent hours dancing, if Maleficent had not appeared.

"Well, well. Who knew the raven could waltz?" she mocked.

"Oh, godmother, Diaval was helping me with my waltz! You know, tomorrow night I will have to waltz, and I didn't know how, so he taught me!" said Aurora still holding my hand "How long are you there watching us?"

"Long enough" she answered glancing at me, while I stared back at her.

"And how was it? Did you like?"

"You had a great instructor. Your waltz was perfect" she said smiling at her "Now, we must go. Your carriage is waiting for you" she said.

"Thank you, pretty bird! I want to see you tomorrow!" she said kissing my cheek.

"You are welcome, Aurora" I answered watching her golden her disappearing in middle of the forest "And _I thank you_…"

"Diaval" called Maleficent.

"No, I don't have anything to tell you, now leave me be" I said turning my back.

"Don't be silly, it is not what I want. I am leaving the Moors to be with my goddaughter for her celebration, she needs me there to help her out. In my absence, you guard the Moors. You must leave tomorrow by the dusk, and not before that. When you leave, instruct the guards to stand all around, over the ground, on the ground and under the ground and not to leave the post until you come back by the morning. No one enters, no one leaves the Moors" she ordered.

"Yes, Maleficent" I said "Don't you worry"

"Just another thing, Diaval. Do not fall for her" she said and I felt my heart paralyze for a second "You understood, I was very clear. Do not fall for her, Diaval. She is the princess, the future queen. She will marry a man, a prince"

"What is she does not want a prince?"

"You know it is not how things work. Marriages are unification of kingdoms, almost a business. She has to think of what is best for her kingdom, and the best is a prince"

"But what is she does not want one? She has the right of choosing, doesn't she?"

Maleficent took a deep breath and then finally said:

"Even so, she will choose a human, not a raven" I knew that expression. That meant _'I know it is going to hurt, but I am going to say anyway, because it is the best for you and for everybody'_. "Don't forget my orders" she said turning her back at me.


	4. Chapter 4 - Strange creatures

IV – Stra_nge creatures_

_ Don't forget my_ _orders_, she said. I did not care what Maleficent thought I should do: I was in love, she could not avoid that. I took the form of a raven again to fly around the Moors. Up there, in the sky, I saw the castle where my princess lived now: a monumental construction of grey rocks, with splendorous towers growing like giants from the floor and a sixty five feet wall protecting the castle from the world, so strong, so cold, and so different from her.

Aurora was a happy creature, she had the sunlight on her hair and her presence illuminated even the darkest of the rooms, she was a free spirit, pure. She did not match the castle, they did not combine.

Still up there, I heard strange noises down on earth. Fairies speaking loud and confusing, crying and flying up and down. Little trolls held a bag, with something alive inside, trying to get out. I took human form to speak to them.

"What is it about? Who is in the bag?" I asked one fairy.

"It is Twennie, my sister! They put her on the bag, it is their entire fault!" she said pointing the fingers at the trolls.

"It is not Twennie, sir, we saw it coming from the ground, growing like a plant, but as a bug plant" said one troll.

"It was like a bug, not like a plant, idiot" said another.

"Bugs do not come from the ground, plants do" answered the first.

"Enough. Let me see what is inside" I said, opening the bag. There I saw a small creature with big head, small members and a pair of wings. It was Twennie in all aspects, but the voice. Fairies have thin voices, and this one spoke a strange language, with a thunder voice.

"Oh, it is not my sister" said the fairy "She doesn't speak like this" Another fairy pointed her wand into the creature and cried:

"Revel yourself"

Instantly, the small creature grew on the floor in front of my eyes. It became a brown slime, with poor movements and a pair of sad black eyes.

"What are you?" I asked astonished.

"This used to be something. Now this is nothing, but this" answered the thing with a gritty voice "Now, this cannot hurt anymore, or serve my master anymore"

"Who is your master?" I questioned the thing.

"My master is the Lord of darkness, and he commands his servants. He conquers all the kind of thing living and turns into this" said the thing raising the arms "He says he makes all our dreams come true if we make what he wants, and then turns us into slaves to serve him"

"What does he want in here? What is his objective?"

"This doesn't know. This knows he wanted this to learn more from the Moors to tell him the weakness of the folk. This is not alone, there are more like this spread in the Moors. Watch the ground that is how this entered here…" and then the thing spoke no more and became a mud puddle.

"What happened?" asked the little fairy "What was this?"

"This used to be your sister" I answered.


	5. Chapter 5 - Aurora's Coronation

_V- Aurora's Coronation_

As I was commanded, I left by dusk. Before it, I instructed the guardians to be aware with things that could enter the Moors underground, and if anything tried to enter or leave, to kill immediately. I did not want to leave the Moors, for I knew that she would dance through the ballroom with Prince Phillip while I was going to be a spectator of that. I took my original form and flew to the castle, and from there I could see Prince Phillip carriage approaching the castle as well. What was so special about him? Just because he was a prince it didn't mean he was better than me.

I flew to the highest tower, where I knew I was going to find Maleficent and Aurora, and took human form again. That was Aurora's room; I could tell that by the perfume on the air before seeing the furniture. Maleficent was there, wearing a long light brown dress with golden details on the neck, and her hair was falling free on her back. She was behind a folding screen doing something when she looked at me:

"You should not be here" she said.

"Who is there godmother?" asked Aurora, behind the folding screen.

"I left by the dusk, as you commanded, what are you complaining about?" I questioned impatiently.

"I am not talking about _punctuality_, I am talking about _place_. You shouldn't be _here,_ in her room, she is not fully dressed!" she answered back.

"Well, I do not have the intention of entering there to see anyone" Or do I?

"Is it you, pretty bird? Is it him, godmother?" asked Aurora trying to spy over the folding screen.

"Yes, that is me, Aurora" I answered. Aurora slowly showed up, walking to the center of the room. She was wearing a dark pink dress, embroidered with white gems all over the corset. Her hair was braided in a side fish-tail braid, and some small flowered accessories on her braid.

"What do you think?" she asked "How do I look?"

I was speechless. Aurora as a vision, a mirage, she could not be real. How could she have all the beauty, elegance, and grace around her? I took a deep breath (after analyzing her, from hair to toe, three or four times) and finally I said:

"You are perfect" and her lips opened in a large sweet smile.

Maleficent kept a disapproval look at me, and hurried herself to break that connection as fast as possible:

"Well, let's hurry up. Aurora cannot get late to her coronation" she said. Aurora left the room waving goodbye. "Diaval, I took the liberty to choose a suit for you, something new and appropriated for a 'grand celebration' like this. It is in the next room, would you follow me, please?"

As soon as we took the first steps out of the room she stared her sermon "Diaval, what part of _do not fall for her_ did you not understand? She will be dancing with Phillip tonight, and I do not want any scene in my goddaughter's celebration"

"I will not ruin her 'party', do not worry about it" I said.

"Diaval, do you love her?" she asked looking at me "Are you really in love?"

I watched her eyes turning magical, and I knew that probably she would kill me if I told her the truth, but I would not lie:

"Completely" I answered without any fear.

"But I told you…"

"Too late for that" I answered her entering the room I was supposed to and leaving her by the door.

"I do not want you to get hurt" she said.

"You cannot choose my paths for me, nor command my heart neither. I will not apologize for being in love, Maleficent. That is how I feel and no power on earth will change it. Not even you" I concluded. She kept looking at me, with an expression I could not understand, maybe sadness, and pointing her finger she pronounced:

"The black suit. Hurry up, do not get late" and closing the door, she left. The suit was all black, with golden buttons. Very sophisticated and proper to a raven.

When I entered the ballroom, I felt a little social phobic. The room was crowded with all those different kind of humans: royalty, gentry, nobility; all of them eating, dancing and having fun. Aurora was sitting on the throne with a bored expression when she saw me and immediately her lips opened in a smile. When I approached her, I revered her and she rolled her eyes up "You really do not have to do this, Diaval"

"Oh, no, he has" commented Maleficent. Prince Phillip approached us, and without any reverence started talking:

"Your majesty, Princess Aurora, it is an honor to see you again!" he said kissing her hand "I must confess that you look absolutely pretty tonight, your majesty…"

"Thank you Prince Phillip. I believe you have never met my godmother, Maleficent, nor Diaval, have you?" she introduced us. Somehow I believed I could read a disapproval expression on Maleficent's face, like she had not liked the Prince she was complimenting before.

"Oh, no, I met your godmother once…" he said giving strange looks at her wings "He is a new person for me…" he said looking at me and his 'baby face' made me want to punch him several times.

"You have met him as well, he is the raven" said Maleficent. He snickered and said:

"Oh, yes, the raven-bird!" he laughed loud.

"Is there any reason for such mockery?" questioned Aurora impatiently.

"I am sorry, your grace, but I could not avoid laughing when I saw him behaving like a human and…"

"I hope you realize how inappropriate it was" Aurora said coldly "I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from someone who is to be a governor in the future in front of my eyes like this. This man next to me is my waltz pair, and I will not accept that you try to humiliate him in my lands"

"_What?_" asked Maleficent and I at the same time.

"You heard me, you two. Diaval will dance with me after my coronation. I cannot give my hand to waltz with someone who has this kind of attitude!"

"But, your grace, he is a raven…" he said in disgust "A night creature! He is not an appropriated pair, I have been trained to waltz as a prince should be…"

"Yes, but I can make her fly" I finally pronounced "I doubt really hard that she will prefer the company of such a low spirited person as you when I am able to make her touch the sky and the stars" Aurora smiled at me and gave me her hand.

"I beg your forgiveness, Princess Aurora. It was not my intention to offend anyone who is loved by you" he said looking really disappointed.

"You are forgiven, Prince Phillip" she said and he left. Bells started to sound, and that was the signal that she was to be crowned. A little man brought her a golden crown, and gently put it on her head. All the guests applauded her, and more bells where heard. Then she turned at me "Shall we?"

"As my queen commands" I joked. I did not look at Maleficent, because I did not care what she was thinking, but she was disapproving that, for sure. As Aurora and I were walking to the center of the salon, she whispered:

"I never felt more nervous in my life" her hands were cold and tremulous "what if I do anything wrong? What if I step on your feet?"

"You will not" I said turning to her and putting my hand on her waist

"How can you know?" she asked back. I approached my mouth to her ear and whispered:

"Because you are the best partner I've ever had"

"And also the only one" she laughed.

"And forevermore, the only one" I left the words scape to watch her cheeks going from rosy to red, and that was such a vision. The music started and I had no problems to start waltzing with her, as I had in the first time. It was easier to conduce her all over the salon, as there were only the two of us there, and no one else in the Universe.


End file.
